The summer of 2019 was unusually sunny in Reykjavík. So instead of travelling around Iceland like I usually do, I only made one trip up north and stayed in Reykjavík to enjoy the sunshine.
I checked out what my city, Reykjavík, had to offer in terms of guided tours.
Top photo: The Mythical Walk of Reykjavík
The oldest house in Reykjavík is in Aðalstræti, not counting the one on Viðey island.
I was intrigued by the name of one tour I found - the Icelandic Mythical Walk | Trolls, Elves & Hidden People.
As you, who read my travel blog, know, I have dedicated many travel blogs to the mythical beings of Iceland, and I seek out the locations of elves, trolls, and other mythical beings on my travels in my country to show you.
The inscription of one of the high seat pillars at Ingólfstorg square in the old centre of Reykjavík, from where the tour started.
There are many such locations, and Iceland is home to many mythical beings. Here are a couple of travel blogs, which I have written about the mythical beings of Iceland:
The 3 Trolls who wanted to separate the Westfjords from the Mainland of Iceland - Icelandic Folklore
An Elf Woman catches a Ride across Skjálfandafljót River - Icelandic Folklore - Álfkona reidd yfir á
Dvergasteinn - the Rock of the Dwarfs - by Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland - Icelandic Folklore
Aðalstræti street, the oldest street in Reykjavík
I joined the mythical beings tour to check it out and to introduce you to one of Reykjavík's walking tours.
We met our guide at Ingólfstorg square by the high-seat pillars, erected in remembrance of the first settler of Reykjavík, Ingólfur Arnarson.
See my travel blog about the settler Ingólfur Arnarson: The Viking Settler Ingólfur Arnarson, Mt. Ingólfsfjall and Ingólfsskáli Turf Longhouse in South Iceland.
Inside the Settlement Exhibition in Aðalstræti
This is the oldest part of Reykjavík, and in Aðalstræti, the oldest street in Reykjavík, you can see the ruins of what we like to think is the old longhouse of Ingólfur Arnarson.
These ruins were discovered by chance when a hotel was being built on our oldest street. A museum, the Settlement Exhibition, was built around the ruins, and the hotel was built on top of the museum.
Víkurkirkjugarður cemetery
Our first stop was opposite the museum, in the oldest cemetery in Reykjavík, Víkurkirkjugarður, where around 30 generations of Reykvíkingar, the locals of Reykjavík, were buried.
The cemetery was in use until 1838, when Hólavallakirkjugarður in the vicinity was taken into use. We also visited Hólavallakirkjugarður on the mythical tour.
In the oldest cemetery in Reykjavík, our guide told us about Icelandic zombies and how to awaken them from the dead.
At Galdrasafnið in Hólmavík - the Museum of Icelandic Witchcraft and Sorcery with the late sorcerer Sigurður Atlason
Víkurkirkjugarður cemetery was frequently in the news a few years ago, when a hotel was being built on the east side of the cemetery.
I have told you about the Icelandic zombies in my travel blog about The Museum of Icelandic Witchcraft and Sorcery at Hólmavík in the Westfjords of Iceland, where you can see me lying on the floor with the zombie and the sorcerer.
You can see another well-known "item" above my head: the infamous necropants, but the story of the necropants was also included in the mythical tour.
The "Elf-rock" in Grjótaþorp
By now it was time to visit the oldest part of Reykjavík, Grjótaþorpið or the Rock Village, and have a peek at the alleged home of the Icelandic elves.
I have dedicated so many of my travel blogs to the elf spots around Iceland, but you don't have to travel far to encounter such spots:
Grásteinn Rock in Reykjavík - is this Rock the Home of the Elves? and many more stories from Hafnarfjörður town in the Greater-Reykjavík area and all around Iceland, f.ex:
Bjartmarssteinn in the Westfjords of Iceland - the Market Town of the Elves
The Sheriff's Wife at Burstarfell and the Elf-Rock in East Iceland - Icelandic Folklore
The beautiful Grjótaþorp in the oldest part of Reykjavík
The inhabitants of Grjótaþorp weren't too happy with having guided tours in their backyard, so the guide told us the elf-rock story in front of the Canadian embassy, a couple of minutes away from the Grjótaþorp village on Túngata street.
That street is often called Embassy Street because it houses many foreign embassies.
The Catholic Cathedral of Reykjavík
Our next stop was by the Catholic Cathedral of Reykjavík, where our guide told us another story. I must confess that I have forgotten which story he told us where, as he told us so many stories ;)
But I can tell you that you are in for a treat on the Icelandic Mythical Walk | Trolls, Elves & Hidden People, as you will hear so many interesting stories from Icelandic folklore.
We also stopped at Garðarstræti, by the very house where my grandparents lived for many years.
Joining this tour is an excellent opportunity to explore the backstreets of Reykjavík and learn about Iceland's mythical creatures.
Garðastræti street - my grandparents used to live in this house
On the next corner of Garðastræti opposite Hólavallakirkjugarður cemetery, the guide told us all about Grýla and Leppalúði and their offspring, the mischievous Icelandic Yule Lads.
If you want to get acquainted with them before joining this tour and see what they are believed to look like, then you can have a look at my travel blog:
Grýla and Leppalúði - the Parents of the Icelandic Yule Lads
Grýla and Leppalúði in Akureyri town up north
And if you want to see where the Yule Lads live for the rest of the year when they are not visiting Reykjavík in December, then you can see their cave in Mývatn up north in my travel blog:
The Icelandic Yule Lads live at Dimmuborgir in North Iceland!
Hólavallakirkjugarður cemetery
It was now time to enter Hólavallakirkjugarður cemetery and hear the most infamous ghost story in Iceland, Djákninn á Myrká - the Deacon of Dark River. It is a ghost story about a deacon up in North Iceland who visited his girlfriend after his death and tried to drag her down into his grave!
This ghost story still gives me the chills every time I hear it. I have written a travel blog about the Deacon of Dark River with photos I took of his grave up north:
The Deacon of Dark River - Djákninn á Myrká - a Ghost Story from North Iceland
Listening to the ghost story in Hólavallakirkjugarður
Hólavallakirkjugarður was established as the Reykjavík cemetery in 1838, and my family has a plot there, where most of my mother's ancestors are buried, my grandparents, and my father. So I visit this cemetery every time I go downtown, and it is very dear to me.
You can visit this cemetery and have a look around. Many well-known people from Reykjavík's history are buried here, and there are information signs you can follow.
Just let's always remember to respect those who are visiting the graves of their loved ones.
Reykjavík pond
We now returned to the old centre of Reykjavík via Suðurgata, which runs parallel to the Reykjavík pond. It was a beautiful sunny day, like so many last summer in Reykjavík.
Reykjavík looked so beautiful in the sunshine that I was taking photos left and right.
Our guide stopped by Ráðhúsið í Reykjavík - Reykjavík's City Hall and told us the story about another mythical creature, the Lagarfljótsormurinn Serpent in East Iceland, Iceland's Loch Ness.
By City Hall in Reykjavík, the guide told us the story about the mythical creature, the Lagarfljótsormurinn Serpent.
I have told you about this mythical creature in my travel blog: Lagarfljótsormurinn Serpent in Lagarfljót Lake in East Iceland - Iceland's Loch Ness, if you want to see photos of the river in East Iceland, where it has been spotted.
Alþingisgarðurinn - the Parliament Park and Parliament Building
We crossed the street from City Hall and, just a stone's throw away in Alþingisgarðurinn park, we heard the story of the infamous necropants, which is one of the most disgusting stories I know from my country.
You can visit The Museum of Icelandic Witchcraft and Sorcery in Hólmavík in the Westfjords of Iceland and see a replica of the necropants.
It is the same museum in the Strandir area of the Westfjords, where you can encounter the Icelandic zombie, which the guide mentioned in Víkurkirkjugarður cemetery.
The Lutheran Cathedral and the Parliament building
We listened to the last story in Austurvöllur park overlooking Alþingishúsið - the Parliament of Iceland - and Dómkirkjan in Reykjavík, the Lutheran Cathedral.
Our guide told us to have a look at the windows of the Parliament building, where you can find 4 low-reliefs of the Land Guardians of Iceland.
The Eagle protects North Iceland.
The Land Guardians of Iceland protect our country and are depicted in Iceland's Coat of Arms.
Protecting East Iceland is the Dragon; in North Iceland, you will find the Eagle; protecting West Iceland is the Bull; and the Giant protects South Iceland.
This is a highly recommended and entertaining tour if you want to see old Reykjavík and hear about Iceland's mythical creatures. Check it out here: Icelandic Mythical Walk | Trolls, Elves & Hidden People.
Have a lovely time in Reykjavík :)
